ResearchMisconduct:RM=PF2
Lab6AY122–Fall2010
LecturebyPaulKalasNovember23,2010
Misconduct:Rareinastronomy?(adaptedfromBroad&Wade1994)
Hipparcos(~200BC):PublishedstarcatalogtakenfromBabyloniansourcesasifitweretheresultofhisownobservaTons(publica(on?)[Toomer,G.J.1975,“DicTonaryofScienTficBiography”(CharlesScribner’sSons,NewYork),p.191]
C.Ptolemy(~200AD):Claimedtohaveperformedastronomicalmeasurementsthathedidnot.[Newton,R.R.1977,“TheCrimeofClaudiusPtolemy”(JHUPress,BalTmore)]
G.Galilei(~1600AD):Exaggeratedtheoutcomeofexperimentalresults.[Koyre,A.1968,“MetaphysicsandMeasurement:EssaysinScienTficRevoluTon”,(HarvardU.Press,Cambridge)]
I.Newton(1687‐1713):IntroducedfudgefactorsintohismagnumopussoastoincreaseitsapparentpowerofpredicTon(intent?).[Wesjall,R.S.1973,“Newtonandthefudgefactor”,Science,179,751]
PF2
• Plagiarism:“theappropriaTonofanotherperson’sideas,processes,resultsorwordswithoutgivingappropriatecredit,includingthoseobtainedthroughconfidenTalreviewofothers’researchproposalsandmanuscripts”[FederalRegister,October14,1999]
– Wordsandideas?
– Unnecessarytocitecommonknowledge[e.g.“gravity”(Newton)]
– Howshouldplagiarismberesolved?(apology?,retracTon?,sancTons?)
– CollegialsoluTonsamongpeers,formalpathwaysotherwise.
– Wasitsloppywork,orintenTonal?
– Whyisplagiarismunethical?Whatarethewiderconsequences?
PF2
• Fabrica2on:“makingupdataorresultsandrecordingorreporTngthem”[FederalPolicyonResearchMisconduct]
• Falsifica2on:“manipulaTngresearchmaterials,equipment,orprocesses,orchangingoromimngdataorresultssuchthattheresearchisnotaccuratelyrepresentedintheresearchrecord”[FederalPolicyonResearchMisconduct]
• HowshouldF2beresolved?(apology?,retracTon?,sancTons?)• Wasitsloppywork,orintenTonal?
• WhathappensifitisNOTfederalresearch?
• WhyisF2unethical?Whatarethewiderconsequences?
WeareinacollaboraTveteam,3subteamscomplete3observa2onsthatneedtobeincludedintoagrantproposalthatisduetomorrow.ThePIoftheprojecttellseveryonethatthegrantcommioeewillbelookingforanypossiblereasontorejectaproposal.Withoutawinninggrantproposalmostoftheteamwilllosetheirjobsinafewmonths.
TeamApresentstheirresultbelow,butcannotexplainthediscrepantpoint.ThePInotesthatthemethodologywillappearflawediftheyindicatean“unknownsourceoferror”.TeamBsuggeststhatthepointisremoved.HowwouldtheyjusTfythisacTon,andhowwouldyouargueagainstit?
TeamBpresentstheresultsfromanobservaTonperformedidenTcallythreeTmesover.Theysuggestthatthesecondtrialissolowthatitiswrong,andinitsplacetheteamcouldreporttheaverageofthefirstandthird
trials.IsthisfalsificaTonoffabricaTon?Trial Data SuggestedValue
#1 75.89 75.89
#2 23.33 74.33
#3 72.77 72.77
TeamCpresentstheirobservaTons.Thedroptowardsthefinalthirdoftheexperimentisconsistentwithachangeinbiasintheelectronicsofthedetector.SincebiascorrecTonis,ingeneral,avaliddatareducTonstep,theysuggestoffsemngthecurveupwardbythemedianvalueofthepreviouspoints.Isthis“cooking”thedata?Shouldtheydiscussthisextrastepintheproposal?
1. Fairness:Everybodyelseisdoingit,fairforustodoit.
2. Benefittoscienceoutweighsthecost,endsjusTfythemeans.
3. Fillintheblank....
ThePIinstructsteamAtosendtheplotwiththediscrepantpointremoved,teamBtotaketheaveragevaluefortrial#2,andteamCtoprovideaplotwiththe“corrected”data.
AserthemeeTng,studentArthursaystopostdocLisa:“Dude,Ican’tbelievewe’rejustgonnamakeupsomeofthisdata.”Lisasays,“Oh,thePIhasgoodreasons.Thinkofitthisway:
Doesthiskindofstuffreallyhappen?
BubbleFusionScandal
• Bubblefusionconfirmed?
2002, Science, 295, 1868
Canithappeninastronomy?
Canithappeninastronomy?
Planet discovery not confirmed by Swiss Group...
Canithappeninastronomy?
Canithappeninastronomy?
What should be done?
• Read/skimthefourarTclesontheLab6webpageconcerningethicalconductinresearch.
• AnswerthefollowingquesTonsseparatelyfromyourlabreport(2pagesmax):
1. IntheJ.R.MinkelarTcle(SciAm)thereisanerrorconcerninggravitaTonallensinginthe5thparagraph(beginnningwiththeword“If”).Whatistheerror?Explain.
2. ReadSecTonVofDysonetal.1920.Whatisthestellardisplacementmeasuredwiththe4‐inchlensatSobral?Lookatthe“probableerror”,andthenwritedownyouropiniononhowwelltheobservaTonmatchesthepredicTonofEinstein.
3. InSecTonVofDysonetal.1920youwillfindafigure.Explaininwordswhatitshows(explaintheaxes,thepoints,thelines)andwhatismissing.
Homework,dueDec.7